Testicular cancer charity receives boost from Norfolk FA

A new organisation that aims to raise awareness of testicular cancer and improve support for patients has been made charity of the year by the Norfolk County Football Association.

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It’s On The Ball was established last year by patients and hospital staff in Norfolk to provide more support to cancer patients.

The charity, whose trustees include eight men from Norfolk that have been treated for testicular cancer, will be working with Norfolk FA throughout 2014, to raise awareness amongst young men about the need to check themselves monthly.

The partnership was celebrated at the Football Development Centre in Norwich yesterday. The charity has already had support from a host of high profile sportsmen including golf professional Ian Poulter and former Norwich City goalkeeper Robert Green. Two of the It’s On The Ball trustees are young men who continue to play football locally.

Shaun Turner, chief executive of Norfolk FA, said: “There are 14,000 men registered to play grassroots football in Norfolk and we believe the message being conveyed by the charity, centred on the need to check for symptoms of testicular cancer on a monthly basis, is a really important one.

“Secondly, it’s really pleasing to be in a position to assist a newly formed charity from Norfolk. The volunteers behind this charity are fantastic people who know firsthand how important it is to raise awareness levels around testicular cancer.”

Norfolk FA raised £11,500 for Break last year.

Vince Wolverson, chairman of It’s On The Ball, added: “This partnership will help get our message to a large number of men and to work collaboratively in fundraising activities. We are very excited about the possibilities over the coming year and look forward to working with the Norfolk FA staff and members, who have already been very proactive in suggesting ways we can achieve our aims.”

Testicular cancer, although relatively rare, is the most common form of cancer in young men. If detected early enough, treatment is successful in over 95pc of cases.

For more information, call 01603 288115, email info@itsontheball.org or visit the website at www.itsontheball.org